Sports
Marauders Make Noise, Top Tier Remains Unbeaten
By: Justin Sampson
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Nelsonville-York – The song remains the same for the Orange & Brown. The Buckeyes have remained largely untested in their first four victories. Their most recent victim came in the form of Columbus-based foe Bishop Ready. Dustin Young continues his push for Player of the Year candidacy, now holding 13 touchdowns to his credit. Quarterback Nathan Dean tossed for four scores of his own, definitively reminding the conference the Buckeyes' offense is not restricted to the backfield. If Nelsonville-York can take care of a feisty Logan squad at home, its next real test may not come until Week 9.
Alexander – The Spartan offense has continued to turn heads. The Red & Black renaissance on offense posted 80 in its most recent performance against Frontier. For those keeping score at home, that tops the conference at 215 points thus far. The biggest concern for Sean Arno's crew is that they've yet to face a team with a winning record. The same can be said for their next contest against River Valley. It's very possible that Alexander and Athens could be undefeated going into their Week 8 showdown. The question is: Will the Spartans' success in their relatively weak early slate be enough?
Athens – The Bulldogs looked to have the hardest go of the "Big Three" last week. A turnover-ridden first half left both teams scratching their heads at halftime, but the 'Dogs rebounded late in the game, taking the 28-14 victory over Chillicothe. One more game separates Athens from TVC-Ohio play. With the toughest part of the out of conference schedule in the rearview mirror, they need to take care of a struggling Waverly team before beginning the conference marathon.
Meigs – Coach Mike Chauncey's 100th career win was perhaps his team's most impressive victory of this 2011 campaign. The Marauders took care of business against Minford, scoring the 35-7 win. Dillon Boyer and Zach Sayre continue to lead an inspired offense that's flown under the radar in the first half of the season. Meigs could very well pick up win number four against Southern this Friday before facing its stiffest test yet in Athens.
Wellston – The Rockets rebounded from dropping their first contest at their revamped stadium with a stout 59-point performance and a win over Oak Hill. They, too, must capture their last out-of-conference game against Fairland before facing four straight TVC-Ohio opponents with winning records.
Vinton County – The Vikings have allowed 75 unanswered points in their last two shutout losses. Now, they're gearing up for a brutal month. The first task is hosting Division II opponent Point Pleasant (3-0) this weekend. The road doesn't get any easier after that as Vinton County battles the three unbeatens to begin TVC-Ohio play. Coach Justy Burleson's bunch could very well be 1-7 after this stretch.
Standings:
T-1. Nelsonville-York (4-0)
T-1. Alexander (4-0)
T-1. Athens (4-0)
4. Meigs (3-1)
5. Wellston (2-2)
6. Vinton County (1-3)